Arizona’s risky health care system solution is to prioritize workers’ well-being
If you can float yourself invisible and observe the daily rhythms within a hospital, nursing facility, county public health office, or outpatient clinic, you will be impressed by the intelligence, skills, dedication and unrelenting commitment of the Arizona health care workforce. These professionals work tirelessly to prevent illness, treat injuries, treat injuries and meet injuries to themselves, their loved ones and their communities’ physical, mental and long-term health needs.
However, you will also notice provider fatigue. They address the root causes of health, heavy management responsibilities and financial pressures that enforce painful ethical dilemmas on clinical and managerial professionals. Relentless tension can seriously blow happiness. You may wonder: when we need them the most, will these dedicated experts be at their best?
The National Academy of Medicine reports that over half of US doctors and nurses experience burnout. Pressure is even more severe in Arizona, especially in rural areas where access to care is already vulnerable. At the same time, our state is facing a worsening labor shortage. To meet the 2030 demand, Arizona will need 14,291 additional nurses, 3,644 doctors and 2,419 behavioral health professionals, according to the Arizona Board of Directors. The well-being and needs of doctors’ assistants, managers, housekeepers, pharmacists, technicians, outbreak agents, therapists and other workers are equally urgent.
The results are clear. When stress, underdoses, excessive burdens, and ethical dilemmas can deplete healthcare professional well-being, patient care, and public health. If we don’t act now, the Arizona health system will be in crisis when we need it most.
Governor declares March 18, 2025: Healthy Workforce Benefits Day
The declaration of Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs highlights the great work of our healthcare professionals. This perception encourages extensive efforts to reduce burnout, labor shortage, and systematic barriers affecting healthcare professionals. The National Academy of Medicine and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation were first recognized as the happy day of healthy workers on March 18th, and the perception continues to grow every year.
More Arizona leaders recognize that our healthy workers are in a statewide crisis. Sustainable solutions require investment, policy review and commitment from all sectors (healthcare, business, education, government).
Arizona’s Happiness Cooperation: Turning Perception into Action
A single initiative or short-term funding is required to deal with this crisis. This calls for coordinated multi-disciplinary efforts. The accusation is led by the Arizona Wellbeing Collaboration, a coalition of more than 150 professional medical associations, hospitals, health departments, universities and frontline experts.
Building on national initiatives such as the US Surgeon Adviser on Healthcare Workers Burnout and the National Academy of Medicine Health Workforce Welfare Plan, the community is driving activities that support systematic change:
Prioritizing workforce welfare in health policy, funding and regulation, reducing management burdens, expanding access to mental health support, eliminating punitive barriers for clinicians seeking help, investing in technology to improve efficiency and enhance patient care, and developing a workplace culture that will recruit, retain and sustain all ventilator communities.
Certainly, these efforts cannot solve all the complex financial and ethical challenges facing health and healthcare, but they are promising steps. Progress can be achieved through sustained collective action, consistent with the legislative workforce initiative aimed at strengthening the ongoing state, business and healthcare pipelines.
At this moment, we need more than recognition. Action is required
If you work in healthcare, you are already feeling the impact of this crisis. If you are a patient or caregiver, you are looking at it directly.
It’s time for action. Healthcare systems, policy makers, insurance companies, and community leaders have the opportunity to commit to lasting solutions that protect and support the well-being of those who provide care.
Learn more or take part in the effort. https://wellbeingcollaborative.org/
Charlton Wilson, MD, Florence Spyrow, RN, JD
